OK, Blue Jays, let’s play ball.
The wait is over for Toronto baseball fans as the club starts playing for real Thursday afternoon.
However, the 2019 edition of the Toronto Blue Jays is not expected to accomplish much under first-year manager Charlie Montoyo.
Saddled with a slew of question marks all around the diamond, Jays fans would be ecstatic with anything close to a .500 season.
WATCH: Preparations underway at Rogers Centre for Blue Jays’ opening day
Here are five individuals who will go a long way to determining the fortunes of this year’s ball club.
Opening day starting pitcher Marcus Stroman, known more for his controversial comments and the eternal chip on his shoulder than for producing stellar performances on the mound, will set the tone for the season versus the Detroit Tigers on Thursday afternoon at Rogers Centre. If the Jays get more of the 2017 “Stro Show” and less of the 2018 sideshow, it will be a major boost.
Fellow starter Aaron Sanchez must also recapture his All-Star form of 2016 and put his blister and fingernail issues in the rearview mirror for Toronto to taste a bit of success this year.
If anyone on the opening day roster is destined to have a career year in 2019, it’s Randal Grichuk. The 27-year-old is in the prime of his career and is coming off a decent spring at the plate. Grichuk is never going to hit for a high average, but he has the ability to be a 35 home run, 90 RBI type of player in the big leagues.
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The bullpen — OK, technically that’s more than one person — is a massive wild card because apart from closer Ken Giles and setup man Ryan Tepera (currently injured) — the Jays’ pen is more mystery than menacing.
Lastly, general manager Ross Atkins has his eyes toward the future with budding stars Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette waiting in the minor leagues and will move more assets — as he did Wednesday night by trading designated hitter Kendrys Morales to Oakland — to stockpile an even greater group of prospects.
No Blue Jays fans, 2019 will not be OK. But if things pan out the way they should, Toronto will be a force to be reckoned with in a handful of years.
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